Building covering



Sept. 30, 1941. E. R. BLACK BUILDING COVERING Filed Jan. 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jaw Z011 wafgz. 532

Sept. 30, 1941. BLACK 2,257,152

BUILDING COVERING Filed Jan. 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet)? .gfaig wa fc gz g C zs vg W W k f A mx & W \\Y zdzdardf. BZacZ I buildings.

p the appearance of the design.

, tern produced thereby;

Patented Sept. 30, 1 941 Edward B. Black Chicago,

111., minor to Edward a. Black. James E. Black, and Elam L.

Black, doing business as Black Systems, Chicago, 111., a copartnership Application January 9,

9 Claims.

My invention relates to building coverings.

More particularly it relates to shingles oi the interlocking type made from flexible prepared rooflng material of the usual varieties and intended for covering the roofs and side walls of One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved interlocking shingles which may be laid to afford a hexagonal pattern on the roof I or side wall-a pattern which has wide popularity.

Another object is to provide shingles which, when so laid, will i expose uninterrupted or continuous lateral or side edges and thereby enhance A further object is to provide an interlocking type shingle which lends itself to easy laying be- 1941, Serial No. 373,764

cause it is unnecessary to raise the bodies of shingles in order to interlock those of adjacent courses and because the correct relative positions of adjacent shingles in the same course is insured by merely bringing portions together in abutting relation.

Another object is to provide shingles which, when interlocked, will lay with their exposed edges flat and tightly down against the under-.

lying shingles.

Another object is to provide shingles in which interlock is effected by a wedging movement between adjacent underlying shingles and the overlapping shingle-a wedging action which facilitates proper positioning of the butt edge of the overlying shingle with respect to the underlying shingles to insure the intended overlap.

Another object is to provide shingles which may be economically laid in that a satisfactory overlap can be obtained with a minimum of material.

Another object is to provide a shingle and cutting layout which will conserve material and such that all edges that will be exposed and those used for gaging position are cut edges, whereas the only shingle edge iormed by an edge of the stock sheetis an edge which will be covered when shingles are laid.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan oi a shingle of a form that will produce the more commonly proportioned hex-. agonal pattern;

Fig. 2 is a plan 0! a part of a root covering showing how the shingles are laid and the pat.-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sect on on the line 3-4 oi Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a plan of a strip of sheet stock show-- ing how shingles can be cut therefrom to best advantage.

In general my improved shingle comprises a body of flexible prepared roofing material having a margin composed principally or in the main of a buttedge and a tip edge of substantially equal length, of a pair of lower lateral side edges which converge at substantially equal angles from the butt edge and of a pair of upper lateral side edges that converge at substantially equal angles from the tip edge. The body at or near the butt edge is provided with two converging slits which open at'the margin and run inwardly substantially parallel to the lower lateral side edges so as to create a tapered tongue'of which the free and larger end is the butt edge. There is also provided a pair of triangular shaped tabs which project from the body at the upper ends of the lower lateral side edges.

Theoretically the proper location for the slits to open into the margin of the body is at the angles where the butt edge joins the two lateral side edges, but because the roofing material has substantial thickness-usually about inchthis theoretical relation is not in practice the best. To give proper results these slits should open either in the butt edge or in the two lower lateral side edgesand in either event at a distance of about the thickness of the material from the point where the lower lateral side edges meet the butt edge. My preference is to have them open into the lower lateral side edges and that arrangement will be shown and described.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the covering ,unit or shingle, which is cut from a strip of flexible prepared rooflng material of any of the approved varieties, has a generally hexagonal appearance with a butt or exposure edge 5 and a tip or normally concealed edge 6. The butt and tip edges are of equal length. Converging at equal angles marginal lines II, l2, 13, ll and I5 which deflne a laterally projecting wing IS. The lines I4 and I8 define a triangular shaped tab II which serves,

slit 36 is substantially parallel to side 8, a 36. is substantially parallel to side 1. Also the the lengthy shingles.

as will be later explained, to lock down one end of the butt edge of an overlying shingle. The marginal lines II and I2 define a right angled projection which serves as a location indicator as will presently appear. In a somewhat similar manner the lateral side edges8' and I do not extend straight to a point of juncture but have interposed therebetween the angularly related marginal lines 25, 26, 21 and 26the lines 21 and 26 defining a triangular shaped tab 29 which is symmetrically placed relative to tab l1 and serves to lock down the opposite end of the butt edge of the overlying shingle; The right angled projection formed by the lines 25 and 26 serves as a positioning gage as will be later explained. The butt of the shingle is provided with two converging cuts or slits 35 and 36 which, at their inner ends, terminate in short outwardly directed 3 cuts 31 and 36, respectively. These slits 35 and 36 extend into the butt from a point removed from the respective end 'of the butt edge a distance substantially the thickness of the stock material and at such angles as will align with the upper marginal edges of thetwo underlying shingles of the immediately preceding horizontal course when in location on the roof or side wall. The length of the terminal cuts 31 and 38 is preferably equal to or slightly in excess of the thickness of the material; they facilitate the proper placement of the shingles and serve; to

prevent the tearing of the material at the ends of the slits when, as will later appear, the tongue and body are relatively displaced to provide gaps for the locking tabs l1 and 29 of underlying The cuts 35-31 and'36-'-38 form a tongue 40 which is partly overlaid by the tabs I1- and 29 of two shingles of the immediately preceding course. Preferably a short triangular 1 shaped gaging tab 4| projects from the tip edge Sin such location that its straight side 42 is o the vertical median line of the shingle. To give the best results, slits 36 and 36 extend from the edges intothe shingle body'at an angle such that each is substantially parallel to the opposite lower lateral side edge. That is, and slit st length of these slits in relation to of the sides of tabs l1 and 29 is such that the length of side I! of tab l1 and of side 28 of tab 29 is substantially .equal to'the projection of a 3 23 is. substantially slit upon the butt edge 6; and such that the length of side I4 01' tab l1 and of side 210i tab equal to the projection of a l slit upon a line pe ndicular to butt edge 5.

1 shingles are laid,

shingles in the ing (i. e., staggered) shingle of the next succeeding overlapping course.

. When so proportioned the tongue 40, which has the butt edge 6 as its free end boundary, includes two triangular portions 01' substantially the size and shape 01' the tabs I1 and 29. And when the as will be now explained, only the tabs on opposite sides of two adjacent same course overlie the interven- Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, the

method of laying, gaging and interlocking and .the' advantages secured will be explained. In general, the shingles are laid in the customary relation of vertically and horizontally overlap- ;ping courses, shingles in adjacent horizontal courses being staggered. Thus, Fig. 2 shows the relation in five horizontal courses A, B, C, D and E, the laying progressing from eave to ridge and :from left to right.

First the shingles of'course A are laid with the 75 butt edges 5 in horizontal alignment. Of course,

' it will be understood-that at the cave there will the A courseand cover the roof-eave edges therebetween. The shingles are laid so that the edge portion 25 at the left hand sideof one shingle abuts the edge portion l2 at the right hand side of,the shingle immediately at its left and with the horizontal edge portions l3 and 26 in alignment,

as clearly shown at the right end of'Fig. 2. Thus the edge portions l2 and 25 serve to gage horizontally and the edge portions I3 and 26 serve to gage vertically the correct relative positions of shingles in the same course. That is, the positions are correct when these portions of adjacent shingles in'the same course touch each other and align-a condition easy to detect. The first .course shingles may be anchored down to the building framework by nails 45 and 46 driven through the units at about the horizontal median line and near the outer lateral edges as shown in Fi 2. a

After the A course is completely or partly in place, the laying of the B course may commence. The correct position of the first shingle B' of this second course is determinable in several ways.

First, it is drawn up into the crotch formed by the converging lower lateral side edges 1 and 8 of the two shingles A and A" in the immediately precedingv or A course with which it is staggered. During this drawing up process the triangularedge-tab I! of shingle A and thetriangular tab 29 of shingle A" arev slightly raised-either by elevating them or the shingle edges-so that the outer corners ill and of the tongue 40 of shingle B can be slid under the tabs l1 and 29 of 8111113168 A and A". The interfltting 0! the tongue beneath tabs Hand 29 isfacilitatedby ing course.

bending the, tongue inwardlytoward the roof. Shingle B is thus drawn up'into wedging relation to shingles A'-A" of the immediately preceding course until its butt edge 5 aligns with the edge portions l6 and 26 of the triangular tabs l1 and 29 of the shinglesA'-A" of the preced- When this condition obtains. the lower edge 6 of tongue 46 formed by slits 36 and 36 ofshingle B aligns with the. converging edges 1 and 9 of the shingles A'--A" and the edge por tion 25 of shingle B should align with the edge 42 of gaging tab 4l of shingle A. Also the edge portion l2 0! shingle B will align with the edge 42 of gaging tab 4| of shingle A". When thuspositioned the shingle B is anchored down to'the building framework by Y nails 46 and 46 driven therethrough in thesame relative location as for the shingles of the A course.

The laying of the rest of the shingles in the B course proceeds from left to right by a repetition of the procedure explained in connection with shingle B.

After the laying of all or a part of the B course,

the laying of the C course shingles C'-C", etc,

' may commence-their relation to the shingles in the B course being the same as that previously explained with respect to the relation of shingles in the B course to those in the A course. Then comes the D course, followed by the E course, and so on in.repetition until the whole roof or side wall is covered. or course, it wilibe understood that the laying can'proceed in the opposite direction-i. 'e., from right to left-ii desired.

The relation existing at the butts of shingles in one course and the converging lower lateral edges of the two interlocking adjacent shingles ends of the slits 35 and 36 and the crotchesformed by the edges l3l4 and 26-21 of the.

underlying shingles. This feature facilitates the proper locating of the overlying shingles with respect to the interlocking underlying shingles because there is only one relationship when the overlying shingle is completely pulled up into the crotch between the underlying shingles and that is the proper one. The two converging edges of tongue 40 formed by the slits 35 and 38 lie in line with the lower lateral side edges 8 and 1, respectively, of the immediately underlying shingles so that no part of the tongue 0, for example of the shingle C", lies under any part of the body of the underlying shingles of the next preceding course, for example shingles B and B", but only under the projecting triangular shaped tabs 29 and I1 thereof. Thus the tabs I1 and 29 of underlying shingles hold down the tongues 40 and consequently the butt edges of overlying shingles; and the inherent flexibility of the material results in the tabs being able to curve upwardly through the gaps provided by the relative displacement of a tongue and the shingle body on opposite sidesof the slits 35 and 36, and, after projecting through those gaps, to lie fiat against the upper surface of the tongue. This flexibility also insures that the tongue 40 will bend abruptly over the edges l3 and 26 of the underlying shingles to take up about the thickness of thematerial in the length of the tongue so that the corners formed by edge 8 and slit 36 and by edge 1 and slit will lie immediately over the corners in the underlying shingles formed by the edges 8-28 and '|-i5, respectively. This relationship provides a butt edge exposure of substantially the length of the butt edge 5 so as to maintain the hexagonal pattern when the shingles have been finally'laid. The projecting tabs l1 and 29 of underlying shingles hold down the tongue lll-and consequently'the butt-of an overlying shingle and the weight of a the overlying shingle helps to keep down the tabs of the underlying shingles. 1

It will be observed that the overlying shingles overlap the underlying shingles, both vertically and horizontally, adequately to insure against leakage. For a typical example, assume a shingle wherein the lower lateral side edges converge from the butt edge by angles of 135 degrees and the upper lateral side edges converge from the tip tively cut with little waste from strips of roofing stock of the standard widths and requiring no trimming along either edge of the stock strip. Thus it will be observed that no edge which, is

.exposed when the shingle is layed in the roof covering and likewise no edge which constitutes either a part of the interlock or a positioning gage lies in the stock edges X and Y. The only waste .is that shown by the small rectangles z along the center line of the stock sheet and the small irregular pieces W along the two edges of the stock sheet.

ture and one embodiment of my invention, .what

I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is as follows: I

1. A shingle of flexible prepared roofing material comprising a body the margin of which includes a buttedge and a tip edge of substantially equal length, two lower lateral side edges converging at substantially equal angles from the butt edge and two upper lateral side edges con- I verging at substantially equal angles from the tip edge, the body having a pair of converging slits which open into the margin and form in the body a tongue of which the butt edge constitutes the free end; and a pair of triangular shaped tabs extending outwardly from the body at the tops of the lower lateral side edges.

2. A shingle of flexible prepared roofing material comprising a body having a butt edge and a tip edge of equal length and four additional side edges which in pairs are parallel, the two side edges adjacent the butt edge each having a slit which opens therein at a distance approximately the thickness of the material from the junction of the side and butt edges, and a pair of triangular tabs projecting outwardly from the slitted side edges at equal distances from the ends of the butt edge.

3 A shingle of flexible prepared roofing ma I terial comprising a body having a butt edge and 1 a tip edge of equal length and four additional side edges which in pairs are parallel, the two side edges adjacent the butt edge each having a slit which opens therein ata distance approximately the thickness of the material from thejunction of the side and butt edges, and a pair of triangular tabs projecting outwardly from the slitted side edges at equal distances from the ends of the butt edge, the lower edges of said tabs being parallel to the butt edge.

4. A shingle of flexible prepared roofing ma-- each lower lateral side edge'from a point in that edge removed from its junction with the butt edge by approximately the thickness'of the materlal.

5. A shingle of flexible prepared roofing material having a butt edge and a tip edge ofequal length, two lower lateral side edges extending from opposite ends of the butt edge at angles of,

135 degrees thereto, twoupper lateral side edges diverging from the lower lateral sidev edges at angles of degrees, and a triangular shaped tab at the top end of each lower lateral side edge. I

converging at equal angles from the ends 01' the butt edge, a pair of upper lateral 'side edges i converging from the ends of the tip edge at 1 angles the sameas those at which the lower lateral side edges converge from'the butt edge,

3 each of the lower lateral side edges having a slit opening therein and extending into the 1 body substantially parallel to the other lower 1 lateral side edges to form a tongue of which i the butt edge is the free end, and a pair of like right angled triangular tabs extending'outwardly from the body at the upper endsof-the lower 1 lateral side edges, the lower edges 01 said tabs 3 being parallel to the butt edge and each lower edge of a length substantially equal to the 1 jection of a slit upon the butt edge.

7, A shingle of flexible prepared roofing material comprising a body having a butt edge' and a tip edge of equal length and parallel to each other, a pair of lower lateral side edges converging at equal angles from the ends of the butt edge, a pair of upper lateral side edges converging from the ends of the tip edge at angles the same as those at which the lower lateral side edges converge from the butt edge,

each'of the lower lateral side edges having a slit opening therein and extending into the body lsubstantially parallel to the other lower lateral side edge to form a tongue of which the butt edge, is the free end, and a pair of likeright angled triangular tabs extending outwardly from 'lthe body at the upper ends of the lower lateral iside edges, the lower edges of said tabs being,

parallel to the butt edge and each lower edge of a lengthsubstantially equal to the projection of a slit upon the butt edge and the side edges of the ,tabs each being of a length substantially equal to the projection of a slit upon a line perpendicularto the butt edge.

8. A building covering comprising a plurality of shingles of flexible weatherproof material laid in vertically overlapping horizontal courses; each unit comprising a body having a butt edge and a tip edge of equal length, a pair of lower lateral side edges converging at equal angles from the butt edge and each such edge having a slit opening therein at a distance from an end of.

' the butt edge approximately the thickness of shingles.

the material and extending into the body of the shingle substantially parallel to the opposite lower lateral side edge, and a pair of triangular tabs projecting from the upper ends or the lower lateral side edges; the shingles in the same course being laid in abutting relation and staggered with respect to the shingles in adjacent coursesso that the butt of a shingle in one course lies in the crotch formed by the lower lateral side edges'of the two adjacent shingles in the next preceding course and itsslits receive triangular -tabs from such adjacent shingles in the next preceding course.

9. A building covering comprising a plurality of shingles of flexible weatherproof material laid in vertically overlapping horizontal courses; each unit comprising a body having a butt edge and a tipedge of equal length, a pair of'lower lateral side edges converging at equal angles from the butt edge and each such edge having a slit opening therein at a distance from an end of the butt edge approximately the thickness of the material and extending into the body of the shingle-substantially parallel to the opposite lower lateral side edge, the slits forming an inwardly tapering tongue of which the butt edge of the shingle is the free end, and a pair of triangular shaped tabs projecting from the upper ends of the lower lateral side edges; the shingles in the same horizontal course being laid in abutting relation and staggered with respect to the shingles in adjacent courses so that the tapering tongue in the butt of the shingle lies .in the crotch formed by the lower lateral side edges of the two adjacent overlapped shingles in the next preceding course and is on opposite sides overlaid only by tabs on those overlapped EDWARD a. BLACK, 

